Street-car switch.



V B. B. MUIR. STREET OAR SWITCH;

APPLICATION FILED 3111.16, 1911.

Patented June 13, 1911.

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BENJAMIN BHAIN MUIR, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

STREET-CAR SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BHAIN MUIR, residing at Mount Hamilton, inthe city of Hamilton, in the county of VVentworth, in the Province ofOntario, Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Street-Car Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street car switches and more particularly tothat type of device which is manually operated from the driversvestibule, and it has for its main object to provide an improvedconstruction of switch which is more reliable in action, and not likelyto get out of order under varying climatic conditions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch which isactuated by means arranged centrally of the track and which does notinvolve the fitment of special points and guard rails.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists essentiallyof a plunger arranged centrally beneath the car platform and adapted forvertical depression and automatic return, an operating lever on theforward end of the vestibule platform for controlling said plunger whichis provided at its lower end with a projecting arm capable of angulardisplacement in a horizontal plane to cooperate with an upstand ing stopin the middle of the track and by means of a direct connection therefromto open or close the switch.

The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention, Figure 1,being a diagrammatic plan of part of a street car track and switch aswell as the means at tached to the underside of the car vestibuleconstructed and arranged according to my improvements the operatingmeans occupying a position to open the switch. Fig. 2, is aside view ofthe same with the operating means in the normal position; and Fig. 3, isa detail hereinafter more fully described.

Like reference numerals designate similar parts in the several figures.

In the drawings, 1, 1, are track rails, 2, 2, are branch lines, and 3,is the switch point for turning traffic from said rails 1, 1, to thebranch lines 2, 2.

According to my invention, I connect to the switch point 3, at anyconvenient part thereof a rod 4, which is adapted for movement at rightangles to the line of track. For this purpose I embed between the railsSpecification of Letters Patent. ramm d June 3, 19 Application filedJanuary 16, 1911.

Serial No. 602,996.

1, 1, and flush with the road surface a box or casing 5, which is fittedwith a cover 6, adapted to be rigidly secured in place in any of thewell known ways. Centrally and longitudinally of the cover 6, I form aslot 7 through which projects for a short distance a. stop 8, formedintegral with or attached to the inner end of the aforesaid rod 4.Anti-friction rollers 9, 9, may be fitted in the box 5, where desired toinsure easy working of the rod 4.

10, is part of the vestibule platform of an ordinary street car beneathwhich I rigidly secure by bolts or otherwise a depending framework 11,which is suitably braced by means of a cross stay 12, likewise firmlyconnected to the underside of said platform. Additional stays may befitted leading forwardly as indicated by the dotted lines as, in Fig. 2.At the lower and forward end of this framework 11, I form a bracket 13,which constitutes a bearing for a plunger 14, having secured to itslower end a laterally projecting arm 15. IV here the plunger 14 passesthrough the platform 10, I fit a strong metal bushing or sleeve 10, forstrengthening purposes. The arm 15, is preferably made in configurationas shown, that is to say, it is provided with a somewhat arrow-headedleading end 16, and a club shaped body part 17, for the purposehereinafter fully explained.

18, is a collar formed on or secured to the plunger 14, between whichand the aforesaid bearing bracket 13, I arrange a strong compressionspring 19, which it will be seen normally tends to keep the said plunger14 raised.

At the. extreme upper end of the plunger 14, which projects above theplatform in the car vestibule I securely fix a laterally and rearwardlyprojecting lever 20, pro

vided at its free end with a toe or foot piece 21. In order that thelever 20, may be readily moved to the right or left hand by depressingon the toe piece 21, I attach to the car plat-form 10, for example, ametal block 22, having inclined faces 23, 24, (Fig. 3), to the right andleft hand of its center line respectively, and said faces are alsotapered down from the rear to a point at the front of the block as willbe readily understood from the drawings, as also to make provision forthe swinging of the lever 20. Obviously the block 22, may be fittedbelow the platform and carried by the framework and stays 11, 12, inwhich event an additional lever 20, will be provided for cooperationtherewith as hereafter explained.

Normally the plunger 14, is kept raised to its highest point by thecompression spring 19, with the lever 20, and the arm 15, directlycentral and longitudinal of the car or as indicated by the dot-and-dashline a,a, in Fig. 1. Assuming that a car which has traveled over thetrack rails 1, 1, has been switched on to the branch lines 2, 2, leavingthe switch point 3, in the position shown by Fig. 1, and that the nextcar is to travel in the direction of the arrow 6, the motorman presseson the foot piece 21, in a right hand cirection which causes the lever20 to descend the inclined face 23. This depression of the foot piece21, moves the parts 20, 14:, and 15, to the position shown in Fig. 1, orready to open the switch 3, by the arrow head 16, and club shaped part17, contacting wit-h and moving the stop 8, as the car travels forward,and thereby pushing said stop to the right hand. If the succeeding caris to travel over the branch lines 2, 2, the motorman swings the lever20, to the position indicated by the dotted line 0-0, which will placethe arm 15, ready to close the switch by moving the stop 8, to the lefthand. Obviously where several lines of track intersect each otherseparate casings 5, rods 4:, and stops 8, will be fitted in connectionwith each switch point. here objection is raised to the projecting stop8, I may hinge the.

rod 4, to the switch rail at 25, and fit a resil ient buffer for thestop 8, to always rest on, so that said stop 8, may be easily depressedif trodden on but always returned to its slightly projected position.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawing it will bereadily seen that by my invention I provide an exceptionally simple andeffective device for the purpose specified, which will dispense with theemployment of a points-man and thereby reduce working expense,furthermore the motor-man will be able to see whether or not the pointsare as required before moving his foot controller.

I claim.

1. The combination in a street car switch of a spring influenced plungerarranged centrally beneath the car platform, a depending frameworkhaving a bearing at its lower part for housing said plunger, cross staysfrom said framework to the underside of the car platform, a laterallyand rearwardly projecting lever secured to the upper end of the saidplunger and fitted at its free end with a foot piece, means for defleeting said lever to the right or left hand when depressed, alaterally and rearwardly projecting lever secured to the upper end ofthe said plunger and fitted at its free end with a foot piece, means fordeflecting said lever to the right or left hand when depressed, alaterally and forwardly projecting arm fixed to the lower end of theaforesaid plunger adapted to cooperate with an up standing stop in themiddle of the track, and means for housing said stop and directlyconnecting same with the switch point, substantially as described forthe purpose specified.

2. The combination in a street car switch, of a plunger arrangedcentrally beneath the car platform and adapted to project thereabove, adepending framework secured beneath said platform and having a bearingat its lower part for housing the said plunger, 7

cross stays from said framework secured to the underside of theplatform, a collar on said plunger, a compression spring interposedbetween said collar and the aforesaid bearing, a laterally andrearwardly projecting lever secured to the upper end of the plunger andhaving at its free end a foot piece, a block fitted into the upper faceof the car platform immediately behind the plunger and having inclinedtapered faces with which the laterally projecting lever is adapted tocooperate, a forwardly projecting arm fixed to the lower end of theplunger having an arrow shaped end and club shaped body adapted tocooperate with an upstand ing stop arranged in the middle of the track,said stop being directly connected by means of a laterally disposed rodinclosed in a box shaped casing with the switch point, all constructedand arranged substantially as shown for the purpose specified.

Signed at Hamilton, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, the12th day of January, 1911. a

BENJAMIN BHAlN MUIR. [11. 8.] Witnesses ALFRED T. BRATTON, GERTIENIoHoLsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

